Kelly Olynyk Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Notes: Hayward, Irving, Olynyk

July 25th, 2017 at 6:43pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Gordon Hayward was extremely inspired during his free agency meeting with the Heat, passes along Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In fact, the small forward was so pumped that he felt about ready to put on a Miami uniform:

“After the video, he [Pat Riley] kind of talked a little bit,” Hayward said. “And that was the moment where you kind of do get some chills. And everyone’s wearing their ring, too, everybody on the staff was. And so that’s the moment where you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool,’ an I-want-to-put-on-the-jersey-right-now type feeling.”

Hayward went on, “Miami was the spot that the more and more we talked about it, the more and more it looked like this would be a really, really good fit for me. And we actually broke it down and had like a point system of different pros and cons and on a weighted scale of different things that each city would represent and each team would represent, and Miami was always near the top of the rankings when we did it.”

Hayward was also struck by “this family vibe that they have.” The now Celtics forward also said about the Heat pitch, “Mark [agent Mark Bartlestein] had tried to tell me, after you talk with him, you’re going to be like, ‘Mark, I’m ready to sign right now.’ You do get that vibe from him. He’s a great motivator. And we watched some videos, too, of the Heat and their tradition. He definitely makes you feel like you’re going to be competing for championships year in and year out.”

Here’s more from the Miami Heat:

The Heat do not have considerable optimism about being able to land Kyrie Irving in a trade, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Tim Reynolds, who covers the NBA for the Associated Press, said that he does not believe that the Heat are even interested in acquiring Irving. Regardless, Jackson says that the Heat’s best chance to get Irving in a trade is if suitors with more appealing assets cannot strike a deal and the Cavs circle back to Miami.
Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes that the Heat have completed more trades, six, with the Cavaliers than any other team. Winderman details this rich trading history, which suggests that an Irving deal should not be viewed as impossible.
In a separate piece, Winderman argues that the Heat owe it to themselves to consider trading for Irving. As Winderman puts it, the Heat should consider breaking up a good team to put together a great team. The scribe also points out that Irving’s list of preferred destinations purposefully includes teams with respected coaches and front offices.
Eric Pincus tweets that Kelly Olynyk‘s deal includes a 5% trade kicker that cannot be used in excess of $2MM.

Pat Riley Talks Offseason, Haslem, Babbitt, More

July 10th, 2017 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

After an eventful week of free agency, Heat president Pat Riley spoke to local reporters and addressed a handful of subject related to his team and the offseason so far. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald passed along the highlights of that session, so let’s dive in and round up some of Riley’s most notable observations and comments…

Riley called the Heat’s pursuit of Gordon Hayward a “no-brainer” even though it didn’t ultimately work out. “The fact Gordon had an interest in us, we felt a need to pursue that but not at the risk of [not] negotiating hard with our own free agents,” Riley said.
The Heat went hard after Kelly Olynyk because the team viewed a stretch four or five as one type of player the roster was lacking. Riley also suggested that Olynyk “sets probably the best screens in the NBA” and is an ideal fit alongside Hassan Whiteside or Bam Adebayo.
The Heat have used “every last dollar” of the salary cap, but still have the $4.3MM room exception. Still, Riley doesn’t expect the team to use that exception right away. “We have 10 guys that we really like, 11 guys or 12 who will be fighting for rotation minutes,” Riley said. “I’m going to add another room mid level guy who is going to be fighting for 10 minutes? … If something pops up that’s really good, we’ll think about using it.”
Asked if the Heat need to add a backup point guard, Riley replied, “Absolutely not.” The Heat president pointed to Tyler Johnson, Justise Winslow, and Josh Richardson as possible ball-handlers.
Miami wants to re-sign Udonis Haslem and is “still talking” to Luke Babbitt. However, Willie Reed is unlikely to return, per Riley.
When it came to the Josh McRoberts trade, A.J. Hammons wasn’t just a throw-in for the Heat — Riley likes what he brings to the table. “He’s the kind of player that fits that mold of a stretch five or four,” Riley said. “We remember him from Purdue. That happened very quickly. We made that deal pretty quickly. We already had scouting reports on him.”

Heat Sign Kelly Olynyk To Four-Year Deal

July 7th, 2017 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7, 3:19pm: The Heat have officially signed Olynyk, the team announced today in a press release.

“As soon as Kelly Olynyk became an unrestricted free agent, we pursued him,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He is not only a post player, he can also play away from the basket. What we like the most is that he is a playmaker, tough defender and rugged rebounder. At just 26 years old, he fits in perfect with our young core that will play together in their primes.”

JULY 6, 6:45pm: The Heat have reached an agreement on a four-year contract with free agent center Kelly Olynyk, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth $50MM. Olynyk’s new deal will include a fourth-year player option, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter).

Because the Celtics withdrew Olynyk’s qualifying offer earlier this week, he’s an unrestricted free agent and can sign outright with Miami. Boston needed to clear the big man’s cap hold from its books in order to help create enough space for Gordon Hayward‘s new maximum salary deal with the team. Until Olynyk’s QO was rescinded, he had been a restricted free agent, but becoming unrestricted helped accelerate his market.

Olynyk, 26, appeared in 75 regular season games for the Celtics last season, averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG and once again showed off an ability to make an outside shot (.368 career 3PT%). His most memorable performance in Boston came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Wizards, when he helped the C’s seal the series with a 26-point outburst.

By signing with the Heat, Olynyk will join a frontcourt that needed a little depth, given Willie Reed‘s free agency. Veteran power forward James Johnson also reached the open market over the weekend, but Olynyk’s deal won’t preclude a new agreement with Johnson, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, who tweets that the team still intends to get something done with the unrestricted free agent.

Having now reached eight-figure deals with Olynyk and Dion Waiters, the Heat only have about $6MM in cap room left over, but could open up another $6MM+ by waiving Wayne Ellington‘s non-guaranteed contract and another $4MM or so by stretching Josh McRoberts‘ deal.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the Mavericks and Heat have had discussions about a trade that would create more space for Miami, so it’s possible that Dallas is willing to take on McRoberts — Tyler Johnson would be the other logical trade candidate on the roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacers, Nets, Others Interested In Kelly Olynyk

July 5th, 2017 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers, Nets, Kings, and Jazz are among the teams “coming on strong” for Kelly Olynyk, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who reports (via Twitter)

Gordon Hayward‘s decision on Tuesday likely helped jump-start the market for several other free agents, but none were impacted as directly as Olynyk. In order to help create cap room for Hayward’s maximum salary contract, the Celtics withdrew Olynyk’s qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent rather than an RFA.

Olynyk is now eligible to sign outright with a new team, which has created significant interest around the league. The Pacers, Nets, Kings, and Jazz all have cap room left over, and would each likely be able to offer more than the mid-level exception, though Brooklyn may want resolution on Otto Porter‘s offer sheet first, and Indiana is trying to shed some salary, per Amick.

Olynyk, 26, appeared in 75 regular season games for the Celtics last season, averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG and once again showed off an ability to make an outside shot (.368 career 3PT%). His most memorable performance in Boston came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Wizards, when he helped the C’s seal the series with a 26-point outburst.

Celtics Rescind Kelly Olynyk’s Qualifying Offer

July 4th, 2017 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of their agreement with Gordon Hayward, the Celtics have started making moves to create cap room for Hayward’s maximum salary contract. That means that Boston has pulled Kelly Olynyk‘s qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Olynyk initially received a qualifying offer worth about $4.19MM from the Celtics in June. That offer didn’t lock the two sides into anything, but it made the 26-year-old center a restricted free agent, and created a $7.74MM cap hold on Boston’s cap. The Celtics need to clear that $7.74MM cap hold to help make space for Hayward, opening the door for Olynyk to sign outright with another team.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), there will be a “strong” market for Olynyk, who averaged 9.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG in a part-time role for the Celtics last season. The seven-footer’s ability to make an outside shot (.368 career 3PT%) should appeal to several teams.

The Hawks and Pacers will be on the list of potential suitors for Olynyk, per Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).

Celtics Extend Qualifying Offer To Olynyk

June 29th, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics have extended a qualifying offer to Kelly Olynyk, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. The 26-year-old center is coming off a year in which he posted 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Given Boston’s position in the middle of some serious free agency pursuits, it’s worth noting that the C’s retain the ability to rescind the offer so long as Olynyk doesn’t accept it first, Himmelsbach adds.

Considering that Olynyk is slated to become a restricted free agent if he doesn’t, it’s unlikely that he would accept the one-year, $7.7MM qualifying deal.

Olynyk is a sharpshooting big man that can make an impact from beyond the arc, a combination in particularly high demand these days, but he doesn’t contribute much outside of his niche.

Regardless, whether or not Boston chooses to match any offer that Olynyk can scrounge up on the open market will largely depend on their success finessing a big name or two over to Beantown this offseason.

Atlantic Notes: Olynyk, Monk, Draft

June 9th, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Austin Kent

A big time signing could jeopardize Kelly Olynyk‘s future with the Celtics, Jay King of Massachusetts Live writes. The organization would need to explore renouncing the restricted free agent’s contract in order to free up cap space.

Still, King writes, it’s possible that the franchise could free up money in other ways that don’t involve parting ways with the sharp shooting big man. The British Columbia native averaged 9.0 points per game in 75 contests with Boston this season.

Olynyk could yield as much as $10-$12MM this summer, his value no doubt inflated by the NBA’s growing emphasis on outside shooting, but whether or not the C’s will be in a position to retain him depends on the rest of their plans over the course of a busy offseason.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks will bring Kentucky’s Malik Monk in for a workout early next week, Ian Begley of ESPN writes. New York picks eighth in this month’s draft and NBADraft.net actually slots Monk in at the No. 8 spot in their latest mock draft.
While there will be plenty of intriguing options available to the Sixers when they select third in the NBA Draft particularly Justin Jackson and De’Aaron Fox, Keith Pompey of the Inquirer says not to overlook Duke product Jayson Tatum.
The latest list of free agents and rookies to be worked out by the Nets has been published by Nets Daily.
The Raptors auditioned a number of draft prospects this week, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun wrote about their workouts.

Celtics Notes: Free Agents, Thomas, Green, George

May 26th, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Next season’s Celtics may have little resemblance to the group that earned the East’s top seed and reached the conference finals, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Free agents Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko are both very unlikely to be-resigned, according to Deveney. Johnson started 77 games this season, but his role was cut severely in the playoffs. Fellow free agents Gerald Green and James Young will also probably be let go. Kelly Olynyk may be a tougher call as a restricted free agent. The Celtics would like to keep him, Deveney notes, but they aren’t certain to match a large offer. The team would also like to trade center Tyler Zeller, who has one year left on his contract at $8MM, which won’t be guaranteed until July 2nd.

There’s more today out of Boston:

Isaiah Thomas is eligible for an extension this summer, but it’s unlikely to happen, Deveney states in the same story. Thomas has one year left on his deal at the extreme bargain price of about $6.26MM. The most likely scenario, according to Deveney, is that Thomas will play out his current contract, then pursue a max deal starting at more than $30MM per season in 2018, either from the Celtics or another organization. There has been speculation about a possible Thomas trade this summer, but Deveney says the Celtics haven’t talked to anyone about dealing him. Other offseason decisions include possible extensions for Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley, and Deveney notes that Boston can’t afford to invest big money in all three guards.
Executives around the league believe the Celtics will hold on to the No. 1 draft pick and select Markelle Fultz, Deveney adds in the same piece. They will take a year to see how he meshes with Thomas, Bradley and Smart before making any long-term decisions. Kansas forward Josh Jackson is probably the most likely choice if they pass on Fultz, according to Deveney.
At today’s exit interview, Green said he wants to return to the Celtics and help them win a title, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. The 31-year-old played just 47 games during the season, but started seven times in the playoffs.
Al Horford, who signed with the Celtics last summer, believes Boston will be a popular destination for free agents, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “I think it’s gonna be very attractive,” he said. “If you look at our team, the upside and everything, it’s a good time to be a Celtic.”
Boston has the assets to land Paul George in a trade if he refuses to sign a long-term deal with the Pacers, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Marks and Chris Mannix discuss the Celtics’ offseason options in a video on the Vertical website, with Marks saying a trade with Indiana is feasible without including the Nets’ pick for this year or 2018. He suggests a package of Jae Crowder, Terry Rozier, Zeller and the Grizzlies’ 2019 first-rounder may be enough to get a deal done.

Celtics Notes: No. 1 Pick, Cap Room, G. Green

May 18th, 2017 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

A little over 36 hours after landing the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, the Celtics weren’t yet fielding trade calls regarding that selection, according to president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. However, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets, Ainge expects the phone to start ringing by next week.

Ainge has indicated that he’s open to every option with that top pick, including a potential trade, but Celtics sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that the most likely outcome is the team keeping and using the No. 1 selection. As Kyler notes, the C’s recognize that draft picks don’t come with any guarantees, but they also believe that the pick is very valuable from a financial perspective — getting a potential star on a rookie contract may be more appealing than trading for an established star who is already on a lucrative deal and will only get more expensive.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

The debate over whether the Celtics should keep or trade their pick is a lively one. Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) weigh the pros and cons of the two approaches, while Charles Curtis of USA Today argues in favor of trading it and Michael Pina of Vice Sports makes the case for keeping it.
Assuming the Celtics keep the first overall pick, Markelle Fultz is the obvious favorite to be selected, but expect the team to work out several of the top prospects before making a final decision, Steve Kyler writes in his piece linked above.
Boston is expected to be a major player for Gordon Hayward if the All-Star forward opts out of his contract with Utah, but as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders observes (via Twitter), the club may have to part with Kelly Olynyk in order to create enough cap room for a max contract.
Celtics swingman Gerald Green, who will be eligible for free agency this offseason, has signed with agent James Dunleavy of Independent Sports and Entertainment, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Green was previously represented by BDA Sports.

Atlantic Notes: Goodwin, Porzingis, Olynyk

May 7th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The Nets may have stumbled upon a building block when they inked Archie Goodwin to a two-year deal following a pair of 10-day contracts this season. The feeling is mutual, a Nets Daily report suggests.

“I can grow with this team, grow with the staff and organization,” the 22-year-old recently told the media. Though the combo guard was waived by both the Suns and the Pelicans in 2016/17, he arrived with the Nets as an intriguing source of potential.

After spending one year with Kentucky, Goodwin opted to enter the 2013 draft and was selected toward the end of the first round. In 12 games with the Nets this year, Goodwin’s minutes were limited but he flashed his potential with 18.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per 36 minutes.

“They’re actually going to give me an opportunity and this summer is going to be a big, big summer for me. I’m going to take advantage of it,” Goodwin said of the Nets.

Goodwin’s deal with the Nets has a team option for 2017/18 and becomes partially guaranteed on opening night.

After a cryptic tweet referencing the Clippers was published from his account, Kristaps Porzingis claims that he was hacked. The Knicks big man tweeted his explanation on Sunday.
The Celtics will have to make a tough decision this summer, choosing whether to build their future around the star who has led them to one of their best finishes in years or commit to one of the prized point guards eligible in this year’s draft. Basketball Insiders’ Moke Hamilton breaks down the scenario in his latest feature.
Although he’s been involved in several incidents, the most recent culminating in a Kelly Oubre Jr. suspension after the guard took offense to a hard screen, Kelly Olynyk insists that he’s not a dirty player. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England discusses the incident that transpired in the Celtics–Wizards series.